Spainmas a bust

posted at 8:48 am on April 16, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

Earlier this week, news that Spain intended to prosecute Bush administration officials for torture at Gitmo had the Left all atwitter, in the same way that they buzzed about frog-marching Karl Rove out of the White House during the Plame investigation. It turns out that Spain was a lot less enthusiastic than they were. Spain’s Attorney General threw a large bucket of cold water on Spainmas, recommending that the country drop the whole matter:

Spanish prosecutors will recommend against opening an investigation into whether six Bush administration officials sanctioned torture against terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, the country’s attorney-general said Thursday.

Candido Conde-Pumpido said the case against the high-ranking U.S. officials — including former U.S. Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales — was without merit because the men were not present when the alleged torture took place.

“If one is dealing with a crime of mistreatment of prisoners of war, the complaint should go against those who physically carried it out,” Conde-Pumpido said in a breakfast meeting with journalists. He said a trial of the men would have turned Spain’s National Court “into a plaything” to be used for political ends.

Spain likes to consider itself omnipotent in criminal matters. They have the notion that they can apply “universal justice” by trying people for crimes committed outside of their own sovereignty. That’s a tremendously arrogant notion, one that challenges American sovereignty in this case. We declared our independence from European oversight 233 years ago, and we don’t answer to Spanish courts. The proper channel for issues concerning public officials between two sovereign nations is diplomatic, not prosecutorial.

Conde-Pumpido didn’t decline the case on those grounds, however. He just saw that the issue was political, not criminal, and that Spain wanted to grandstand for some popularity. He pointed out that the proper forum for complaint in this case was the US courts, not a Spanish judicial panel. Conde-Pumpido wants the original judge recused from the complaint as well, in order to make sure that this moves no farther through the system.

Douglas Feith, one of the potential “defendants”, called this a “national insult,” and he’s right. Only those who don’t believe in American sovereignty and independence would cheer this attempt to make Spain the arbiter of American action. The judge could still order the prosecution, although with this recommendation it’s unlikely. If Spain moves forward, the Obama administration must defend American sovereignty by imposing stiff diplomatic consequences for this national insult.

Isn’t Spain the country that murdered millions of Indians in North/South America during the 1500-1800’s? Perhaps we should have sent our Gitmo guards to them for training, or something. OK, just kidding on the suggestion…..

Isn’t Spain the country that murdered millions of Indians in North/South America during the 1500-1800’s? Perhaps we should have sent our Gitmo guards to them for training, or something. OK, just kidding on the suggestion…..

When Spain prosecutes Castro, and members of his regime, for actual crimes committed against Spanish citizens, and property, since 1959, then, and only then, maybe, can they even consider prosecution of anyone else not a citizen of Spain.

but, but, but…. Supreme Court jester, I mean judge, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said we needed to incorporate international law….. sovereignty of this country is being attacked… oh wait… I’m paranoid, I forgot.

Vice Prez Bozo said they would be tested…. cripes, not 3 months in and already he’s trashed us, apologized for our “arrogance”, mortgaged our national future into the abyss, weakened our military preparedness, kowtowed to our enemies, “mulled over” a response to pirates (better late than never), skipped a few tea parties where he was one of the “guests of dishonor”, and now our actual sovereignty could be at stake. Wait and see. It’s now or never for us…. when’s the next tea party? It can’t come soon enough!

Candido Conde-Pumpido said the case against the high-ranking U.S. officials — including former U.S. Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales — was without merit because the men were not present when the alleged torture took place.

Even when these idiots have to backtrack, they make it sound like they know what they’re doing. Hey I’ve got a great idea; let’s drop all the Gitmo detainees off in Barcelona. Because in Spain human rights are what’s most important.

I don’t care if Spain doesn’t go forward with these idiotic and offensive prosecutions. The damage has already been done. Spain is an enemy of the US. Period. This attack of theirs on US sovereignty is an act of war, so far as I’m concerned. The only move that would change my attitude about them is if they prosecuted those trying to bring these cases. I don’t care what the charges would be. They can something up just as was tried, here. And I am not being hyperbolic. This sort of attack on our sovereignty is an act of war.

Spain is stupid for even bringing this up. Especially since we have half a billion in gold from a galleon sitting in lock up making it’s way through the US federal courts. Go ahead–piss off our government, Spain will never see a single penny of that fortune returned. Not that it should anyway–it was recovered in international waters.

If Spain continues on this madness then Obama must recall the ambassador. This is very serious. Or at the very least the Attorney General should open a grand jury investigation into how the Spanish government deals with the Basque terrorists.

If the Spanish Army or the national police arrest a terrorist I am sure it would be enlightening to the whole world to know how the Spanish conduct their interrogations.

There are good Spaniards. It’s too bad that effete little Barca-loving Mr. Bean look-alike is PM. I hate ETA, but it would not the worst thing if they sent him a message and it could put the Popular Party back in power.

Why should anyone be surprised by European arrogance, whether it comes from Spain, France, or Russia? These are the real colonialists and imperialists who have no regrets about the slaughter they have unleashed on the world.

They should worry about their own turf, since the continent is well on its way to becoming a Muslim conquest.

Please, please, please tell me you actually know about the actual Spanish Inquisition. Otherwise, I weep for the history programs at all schools.

mjk on April 16, 2009 at 9:57 AM

MJK – you are worried about his (or her) knowledge of history? I wonder about his (or her) English comprehension skills. I think the comment itself clarifies a lack of historical acumen, but a lot of hysterical nonsense.

Spain is stupid for even bringing this up. Especially since we have half a billion in gold from a galleon sitting in lock up making it’s way through the US federal courts. Go ahead–piss off our government, Spain will never see a single penny of that fortune returned. Not that it should anyway–it was recovered in international waters.

robblefarian on April 16, 2009 at 9:25 AM

My cousin is completely convinced these two issues are tied at the hip.

Isn’t Spain the country that murdered millions of Indians in North/South America during the 1500-1800’s? Perhaps we should have sent our Gitmo guards to them for training, or something. OK, just kidding on the suggestion…..

DL13 on April 16, 2009 at 8:57 AM

Guess from whom they stole all that Gold and Silver mentioned earlier. And they actually still have the nerve to claim it’s theirs despite being found in international waters by Treasure Hunters. I guess they figured they killed for it then, so why stop now?

You know, Franco called the shots for all those guys. That book you are reading: Yes I Can, by Barack Obama. It should be called, Yes I Can, If Generalissimo Franco Says I Can. Franco used to call the shots for all of those guys.

This is precisely why I say EUCOM (European Command) should be IMMEDIATELY DISMANTLED. Those people have a government: make them fend for themselves, from now on. Redistribute EUCOM forces and assets unequally between CENTCOM (Central Command, which handles the Middle East) and AFRICOM (our newest joint command). That, and radically scaling back NATO participation & funding would send them a clear message, too. Hey, maybe the Spanish Foreign Legion and the “Armada” could defend Europe? Europe is a waste of American taxpayer money.

I hereby decree that we the people of the United States do, in fully moral and righteous indignation, condemn and indict Torqemada for his role in engineering the Spanish Inquisition We also seek to try General Franciso Franco for his role in the deaths of 150,000 Spaniards.

We would like to, however, resolve that Penelope is quite swell. Keep more of that coming please…gracias.

Spain likes to consider itself omnipotent in criminal matters. They have the notion that they can apply “universal justice” by trying people for crimes committed outside of their own sovereignty.

True, but nobody complained when General Pinochet was extradited to Spain on “war crimes” charges in 1998. (Chile has no extradition treaty with Spain.) That set a precedent for over-excited magistrates to extend their jurisdiction beyond sovereign borders. President Clinton should have objected to it at the time, but didn’t.

The judge could still order the prosecution, although with this recommendation it’s unlikely. If Spain moves forward, the Obama administration must defend American sovereignty by imposing stiff diplomatic consequences for this national insult.

Just to throw this out there as someone studying International Law – universal sovereignty is the belief that one person/group/junta’s crimes are so against human rights and humanity that htey can be prosecuted by any country. I think we did similar when we nabbed Norriega and I think we also prosecuted Taylor. Of course THOSE guys deserved what they got while hte left feels the uncontrollable urge to prosecute all BUsh people

Noriega was charged with 10 counts of drug trafficking, conspiracy, money laundering and aiding and abetting violent crimes. Some of these were committed against US persons, the US still having possession of the Panama Canal Zone at the time.

Charles Taylor’s crimes in Liberia were indeed crimes against humanity, as were Jerry Rawling’s crimes in Ghana. The Rwanda atrocities speak for themselves. As do those in Darfur.

What Spain is attempting to do (or at least one of its prosecutors) is not at a level that a rational observer could construe as crimes against humanity.

Justice from the people who brought you the Inquisition.
I can’t boycott their products because I have never seen or heard of any. The entire EU should be boycotted because through the VAT tax the EU has violated all trade and tariff treaties. Of course the EU also has no products save Nissan and Dodge and those crappy airplanes. Airbusts?
Indicting our leaders is an act of war and a violation of our sovereignty. Give them some of what Dresden got. Firebomb Madrid.

First: Conde-Pumpido is probably the most partisan Attorney General -not the maximum judicial authority- in our Democratic history, abolutely leftist, pro-socialist, and pro-government. Some of his recent greatest hits include letting terrorist leaders out of jail, persecuting the Spanish conservative party charging them with feeble corruption charges, and stopping corruption investigations on the socialist government. Luckily for the US, our President is willing so much to be friends with Obama that put a stop this nonsense investigation.

Second: Spain is the most antiamerican country in Europe. Yes, more than France. You cannot imagine how popular this investigation was. Bush is the devil here. Obama is truly the Messiah. Expect more like this.

Third: Do not believe for one moment that one whack of a judge speaks for all of us Spaniards. So please, do not call me an Aztec murderer, or remember me that Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition! I am absolutely pro US. But just a little perspective: 1.157 people have been executed in the US since 1.977. In 250 years, the Spanish Insquisition killed at most 5.000 people.

Fourth: There are lots of thing to criticize Spain for (our surrender to Politicla Correctness, our concessions towards enemies of the West, our sympathies for such thugs and ignoramus as Hugo Chávez, Fidel Castro, or Evo Morales). Do that. Do not criticize our past, or say Franco did better. I prefer the democracy I live in (stinky as it is).

Fifth: No need to bring Franco to trial in the US. We already tried to do that here, and most of his supporters. But they were dead (AND THIS IS NOT A JOKE).

Sixth: No, Spain does not believe it is entitled to universal justice. Spain believes it has some kind universal jurisdiction for all “crimes” it can charge only on pro-Western governments. We will never bring charges against Castro, against Kim Jong Il, or against Iraq. I wonder if we would ever bring them against Obama whatever he did.

In short: bash Spain for what it is, not for what it was; do not believe for a second that Conde-Pumpido has done this out of greatnes or love for the US; and expect more friendly actions from a country -and a government- in love with President Obama.

BTW, Having the most anti-US country in Europe admire President Teleprompter so much should give you something to think about …